Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Thousand Foot Krutch, more often abbreviated as TFK, have been an active rock band since 1997. Once known by a very select group of people, they are presently huge in both Christian and secular markets. Their single "Rawkfist" has assured them a huge staying power. Now they have quite the impressive discography under their belt, with their only real weak point (for me) being "The Flame in All of Us", which actually transitioned them to their still best album of all time (once again, for me): "Welcome to the Masquerade". That album still stands the test of time as one of my favorite albums ever. After the aforementioned album, TFK went independent like many rock artists, particularly in the Christian circles, have been doing recently. Reception for them has become a little mixed since then, getting a massive hit with the album "The End is Where We Begin", and a pretty negative response with "Oxygen: Inhale". Many believed the latter album was too soft and a disjointed effort. While I really liked the album and thought it emphasized Trevor McNevan's impressive vocals, I could see where people were coming from, and it definitely isn't one of this band's best efforts. Fast forward to today and we have a new TFK album, "Exhale", which McNevan promised would be the exact opposite of "Inhale" and boast almost all rock songs. And boy, does this album deliver. By the end of it, I had a huge grin on my face. "Exhale" is a fan-pleaser to the extreme, and that is not a bad thing in the slightest.
"Exhale" gets off to a superb start with its first three songs. "Running With Giants" is just begging to be played in a huge live setting with its explosive guitar work and epic lyricism ("Running with giants, everywhere I go/It's an unspoken alliance, so I can't just let go"). It's powerful to hear lyrics talking about God in a way that makes him feel appropriately huge. "Incomplete" reminds me of the title track off of "The End is Where We Begin" with its fast paced verses and slow-burn chorus, and this technique is proven to work once again for the solemn theme of the song, which is about not being whole without God in your life. The song is really affecting and the chorus sticks in just the right way. "Give up the Ghost" is, hands down, one of TFK's best songs to date. I'd say it already feels like a straight-up classic. It doesn't sound like anything they have done before, with an incredible beginning and ending guitar riff. It also boasts some of their most clever lyricism to date, with McNevan refusing to be haunted by the sins, or "ghosts", of his past (and also encouraging others to follow this train of thought): "I've met trouble and I've met rain/Laughed with joy and cried in pain/ But now I see and I believe/That the ghosts that haunt me have been outhaunted". Trevor's vocals sound as passionate as ever, the guitar work is incredible, and the drumming is sporadic and energetic. This all adds up to make a perfect TFK song, as well as one of the best songs of the year so far.
After these first three tracks, you wouldn't think TFK could up themselves any more through the album. But there are still plenty of great tracks to look at. "Off The Rails" has another unique guitar riff in it which makes the songs feel just the right amount of chaotic. "Adrenaline" feels like it could fit right onto their album "Phenomenon", which isn't a bad thing at all. It brings back Trevor's raps and makes them feel refreshing, unlike a previous song on "Untraveled Road" off "Oxygen: Inhale". "Lifeline" is a pretty straight forward rock song, but has a relevant message about trying to stay afloat despite all the negativity that surrounds everyday life. And, once again, the chorus is super catchy, and you'll find yourself humming it if you listen enough.
The album ends off with two more highlights that are consecutively the second and third best on the album after "Give up the Ghost". "Born Again" boasts the Southern rock flare TFK established with their song "Born this Way". On "Born Again", they actually perfect it the style with ease. The guitar riff is fun and has a creative little twang, Trevor's vocal style has a little bit of a country flare which works effectively rather than ending up annoying. Superb lyrics appear again in discussion about being born again in Christ, and it is done in a way that is refreshingly not cliched. The album ends with the ballad "Honest", which sent chills up my spine with some great strings, beautiful raw vocals, and some of Trevor's most authentically penned lyrics: "If I can be honest/How come I always break my promises to you?/If I'm not afraid why am I so scared to move?/I'm barely breathing". Those lyrics are just breathtaking to me and really left the album on a contemplative note. This felt right after an album filled with mainly rock songs.
There are some weak points of this album as well. "A Different Kind of Dynamite" has Trevor using way too many similes in the chorus, which is something that was a huge problem on "Inhale". I usually appreciate his falsetto; however it really falls flat here and feels annoying every time he uses it. The backing music is also a bit repetitive, making this the weakest song on the album. "The River" has about as tired of a concept as the title, using water metaphors for rebirth. The song doesn't really bring anything new to the table , even though the Southern flare on the song was mildly interesting. "Push" reminds me a little too much of "Untraveled Road" to the point it's almost a carbon copy. "Can't Stop This" is entirely rapped, and while I like Trevor's raps, his singing is much better, and that makes this song a weaker entry. His raps also feel repetitive with not much variation in style.
"Exhale" is definitely an improvement over "Inhale" (even though I didn't think "Inhale" was a weak album). It gave me exactly what I- and many other fans- have wanted from TFK ever since "Welcome to the Masquerade": a lot of fun rock songs which also have great lyrical content to consider. Though albums like the "WTTM", "Phenomenon", and "The Art of Breaking" are all stronger entries overall than "Exhale", TFK's newest is still certainly a worthy one in their discography, and it's easily one of the most solid rock records to come out so far this year. This one will definitely be on repeat for me as I anticipate seeing what one of my favorite bands will release next!
Favorite Songs: "Give Up the Ghost", "Born Again", "Honest", "Lifeline", "Incomplete"
Least Favorite Songs: "A Different Kind of Dynamite", "The River", "Push", "Can't Stop This"
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